Military blogger Fighterbomber published a photograph of an unusual aircraft, filmed from below during flight. Commentators' opinions were divided — some are sure that the Il-80, an airborne command post for a nuclear conflict, was caught on camera. Others believe it is a special version of the Il-76.
The external elements under the wing and the unusual fuselage configuration support the Il-80 version. Additional fairings and equipment units, not found on regular passenger Il-86s, can be seen on the aircraft.
The Il-80, an airborne headquarters capable of maintaining communication with the nuclear triad and military command even if ground infrastructure is destroyed, was created based on the Il-86.
However, there are also arguments in favor of the Il-76 version. The aircraft in the photo looks narrower and more compact than the wide-body Il-86. In addition, the engines appear to be more spread out along the wing — this is characteristic of the Il-76.
Also, OAK head Vadim Badeha noted that there is huge interest from foreign customers in the Il-76MD-90A. He did not specify which ones, but recently foreign media reported on Ilyushin's probable participation in supplying transport aircraft to India.
